Ministry warns women to watch pill clot signs

By Catherine Masters

The Ministry of Health yesterday warned women taking the pill to seek immediate medical advice if they had swelling or pain in their legs.

The ministry, under fire from doctors over the level of information it has provided on the link between oral contraceptives and potentially fatal blood clots, said it appeared to be doctors who were not giving adequate warnings to patients.

Blood clots, associated with the Marvelon, Mercilon, Minulet and Femodene pills, have now killed seven New Zealand women in the past seven years - at least twice rate of deaths expected.

Those brands, which represent 65 per cent of the market, are part of the so-called third generation of pills, marketed by the drug companies as having fewer side-effects than earlier versions of the pill.

Although the main concern centres on the third-generation pills, which all the dead women were taking, women on second-generation pills are not free from risk.

Women clamouring for more information overloaded a free telephone helpline the ministry provided at the weekend. Calls continued to pour in yesterday.

A senior adviser at the ministry, Dr Stewart Jessamine, said plenty of information had been sent to GPs to be vigilant and provide women with all the information.

Anecdotal reports suggested it had not always been passed on as well as it should have, Dr Jessamine said.

But Dr Anton Wiles, chairman of the Medical Association, said the information given to doctors by the ministry and by drug companies promoting the pills was conflicting.

"I think they [the Ministry] are trying to push the blame a little bit."

In a pamphlet issued yesterday, the ministry says there are sometimes no symptoms with blood clots, but ones to watch for are breathlessness and swelling, tenderness and pain in the legs.

"If you are taking an oral contraceptive pill and you develop any of these symptoms you should see a doctor immediately."

Women regarded as at risk of blood clots - those who were overweight, had bad varicose veins or a family history of blood clots - should be particularly alert.

Air travel, lack of exercise possibly due to illness or injury, could temporarily increase the risk of clots.

Dr Jessamine said the risks of dying from a blood clot while using a second-generation pill were considered to be one chance in a million, and a two chances in a million while using a third-generation pill.

The helpline number is 0800-930-039.